Could Williams and Vitt co-exist given their previous bad blood? Surely, these guys would want to give each other a noogie at the very least.

Well, this reunion almost occurred in Miami in 2017.

Vitt (Ben Margot / AP)

People close to Vitt told me that he actually endorsed Williams to his son-in-law when it became clear that the Rams wouldn’t retain the defensive coordinator following 2016 season.

Vitt was fired by the Saints after the 2016 season before working on special projects and consulting for the Dolphins.

He suggested to Gase that Williams would be a smart addition if/when then-Miami defensive coordinator Vance Joseph got a head coaching job after their 2016 playoff run. Joseph ultimately became the Broncos head coach.

People close to Vitt and Williams maintain that they have a healthy respect for each other. They insist that there is no lingering animosity.

Williams will also be working with his son, Blake, who coached linebackers and called defensive plays for part of last season in Cleveland.

Sources close to Gregg Williams said that Gase made it clear from the beginning that the defensive coordinator’s son would have a place on the Jets staff in some capacity. (It would not be linebackers coach due to Gase’s close relationship with new assistant head coach/linebackers Frank Bush).